What are you doing on this coming weekend? Come and join us at Ubin Day 2015!!

Mangrove Action Squad will be talking about mangroves!

We will be showing pictures of mangroves in Singapore. We will talk about the plants and the ecosystem services mangroves provide. You will be surprise on products related to mangroves you are using in your everyday lives. Come and talk to us to know more!

~Pisit Charnsnah, the founder and director of Thailand’s Yadfon Foundation

This is an article written by Alfredo Quardo, the executive director of Mangrove Action Project (MAP). He remind the public on the important of mangrove. He mentioned how the mangrove benefits the people and how the mangrove was deforested in more rapid way than other ecosystem. He also witness in person on the illegal destruction of these precious ecosystem took place in a declared Ramar site.

He ends with a positive notes cited the co-operation between various NGOs, as well as the exciting news of Sri Lanka’s plan on giving mangrove full protection.

The concept of ecosystem services in conservation was increasingly being used by scientists. It is an anthropocentric approach to promote nature, by telling people how much service they provide. More debatable is a branch of ecological economist works to assess the monetary value of nature.

In Singapore, limited extent of mangroves has its value. It provides ecosystem services to public, mainly through providing a ground for education and recreation; and to a certain extent, climate regulation and coastal protection.

In this article, Dr.Dan Friess apply the concept of “ecosystem services” in discussion of Singapore’s mangroves and its value to the society.

The partially submerged Mangrove Boardwalk at the reserve during the high spring tide last Friday. — Photo: Lim Yaohui for the Sunday Times

Visitors to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve last Thursday and Friday may have found themselves closer to the water than expected.

High spring tides of up to 3.5m submerged the wooden walkway on both afternoons.

The reserve’s deputy director, Ms Sharon Chan, said such high tides occur several times a year and added that there are plans to raise the height of the reserve’s boardwalks.

“Some sections of the boardwalks may be flooded during the spring tides,” she told The Sunday Times. “On these days, signs are put up to inform visitors that the trails are closed.”

Spring tides occur when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned, according to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The gravitational pull of the Sun is “added” to the gravitational pull of the Moon on Earth, causing the oceans to bulge more than usual.

This means that the high tides are a little higher and low tides are a little lower than average.

Tide timetables on the National Environment Agency’s website show that the high tides are expected to reach 3.4m on Feb 20 slightly before noon and on Feb 21 at about 12.30pm.

Visitors to the Sungei Buloh reserve were unfazed by the occasional flooding.

“Even if you get there and some parts of it are closed, there are lots of other things you can do,” said Ms Georgina Tan, 30, a sales executive.

The reserve recently opened a new extension that includes five lookout points that give people unobstructed views of the reserve and the sea, and a gallery featuring plants and animals found in the mangroves.

Entry to the reserve is free and it is open from 7.30am to 7pm from Mondays to Saturdays, and 7am to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays. For the tidal timetable, call 6794-1401.

“TODAY reports: Authorities such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Singapore Police Force have been involved in making sure the impact of the environment is minimised as more barricades are put up.”

SINGAPORE: With 40 per cent of Singapore’s 197km coastline to be barricaded in the coming years to beef up security, the authorities have reiterated that further studies will be conducted if there is a need to better understand the barriers’ impact on the surroundings — especially if they are near sensitive areas such as nature reserves or marine and coastal areas.

Questions on the impact of barriers being built off the Kranji and Poyan reservoirs were raised recently on the Wild Shores of Singapore blog, run by nature enthusiast Ria Tan.

The Kranji and Poyan barriers are not part of the additional 80km announced by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in October. Work on the barriers near the reservoirs started in August and will be completed in January 2016, a Singapore Police Force spokesperson said.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and four other Government agencies had reviewed the proposal for any potential environmental concerns, a URA spokesperson told TODAY. The police is to do environmental monitoring and put in place mitigating measures such as silt control during construction.

The police were required to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Kranji barriers, but not for the Poyan ones.

SINGAPORE – The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve will celebrate its 21st birthday on Dec 6 with the opening of a new 31-hectare extension.

The new recreational space, which is linked to the 130ha reserve, will have rich mangrove and coastal forests for visitors to explore, observation points, and a mid-canopy walk on a suspended bridge that takes people through the understorey of a secondary forest.

Six new guided walks have also been added to the reserve’s original one, including two walks meant for children under 12 years old. Each free, 1.5-hour walk will be guided by volunteers from Regent Secondary School or the public.

Visitors can step onto mudflats during low tides to get up close to creatures such as Tree Climbing Crab, Solitary Tube Worm and Giant Mudskipper.

A new bird-watching walk added to the original reserve will also teach people to spot shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipes, and passerines, also called perching birds, such as sunbirds and bulbuls.

National Parks Board deputy director of conservation Sharon Chan said the extension will help relieve pressure on the original reserve, which gets 100,000 visitors a year. “It also presents a host of invaluable new opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience nature and learn about the importance of conserving our mangroves,” she said.

Birding season is here! Whether you enjoy photography or just simply enjoy watching them in their natural habitat, do some reading before you put on your binocular!

The migratory season usually starts from September until March. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is an important roosting and feeding ground for these migratory birds before they continue their journey to the South.

Here is some articles published by The Straits Times on migratory birds you can see in Singapore mangroves!

“This year, more than 3,500 volunteers from some 80 schools, corporate groups and agencies went to beach and mangroves of Singapore early on 13th September morning to collect, categorise and remove trash from our shores – for the 22nd year!

We chose to work the low tide this week before the rest of the world conduct their cleanups on the third Saturday of September as identified by Ocean Conservancy, the international coordinator”

Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee doing his part at the reforestation initiative on Pulau Ubin yesterday. He says that one solution to tackle the island’s fast-eroding northern coastline could be to install breakwaters. — PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Pulau Ubin’s northern coastline is fast being eroded by tides and currents.

If left unchecked, the island could lose parts of its coastal forest and mangroves.

To turn the tide, the Ministry of National Development plans to carry out a study to establish the extent of erosion, the types of vegetation affected and the impact it will have on hydrology.

Speaking at a reforestation initiative on the island yesterday, Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said the study will help it “properly design restoration measures and erosion control measures”.

One solution could be to install breakwaters, he said.

The fast-eroding shoreline is one of several pressing needs facing the 10.2 sq km island, which is about the size of Changi Airport.

Another is to fix the dilapidated buildings on the island, some of which have fallen into disrepair due to neglect.

That is why the ministry has been gathering ideas from different Ubin interest groups and stakeholders on how to preserve and enhance the island’s rustic character and natural environment, while sensitively providing access to the public. This intention was first announced by Mr Lee in Parliament in March.